XEP: The Steadfast Tin Soldier
by MoonRose91
Summary: The Steadfast Tin Soldier, as retold by Moonrose91. The course of true love never did run smooth. That was the Bard. Jean/Scott


**X-men: Evolution Presents, Moonrose Style**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Except my altered self. Eh.**

**A/N – ...I take requests.**

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><p><strong>We now present: <strong>_**The Brave Tin Soldier**_

"Don't we get a say in this petite?" Remy asked.

**No.**

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><p>Once upon a time, when toys were still made of tin, there were 25 soldiers made from a single piece of tin. All of them were dressed in identical outfits, all matching in every aspect, omitting the hair and eye color, except the last. The last had been created by the very dregs of the tin and it created a tin soldier with only one leg.<p>

The very first words these tin soldiers heard was the boy, Jamie, opening them up in eagerness and exclaiming, loudly to his parents Rogue and Remy…

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><p>"Do <em>not<em> pair me with the Swamp Rat!" Rogue snapped.

…**I needed to give the boy a name. And he needs parents.**

"One would t'ink you don't like this ole Cajun," Remy stated and Rogue shoved him away from her.

**On with the story!**

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><p>The very first words these tin soldiers heard was the boy, Jamie, opening them up in eagerness and exclaiming, loudly to his parents Rogue and Remy, "Tin Soldiers! Oh, thank you so much Mama and Papa!"<p>

Jamie immediately rushed to play with them on the table meant for such actions, and marveled over the one-legged soldier and he picked the one that stood out so much as his favorite. He named the soldier 'Scott'…

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><p>"Wait! Does this mean…what I think it means?" Scott questioned.<p>

***sighs* I guess.**

"You mean…" Scott questioned, but was stopped by Jean resting her hand on his arm.

"Don't push it Scott. We're her least favorite characters, and she tries her hardest to be nice to us," she added.

Scotty smiled and they generally got sappy.

**Wonderful. Cleared up now? Goodie, moving on!**

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><p>He named that one-legged soldier "Scott" and decided he would be the bravest of the soldiers in the games that he would play with his older sister, Jubilee.<p>

Now, the table was cluttered with toys, but the one that caught Scott's eyes was the paper castle across the way. There, what could be seen through one of the windows, was the looking glass with fake trees and wax swans put together to look like a beautiful lake. In the entry way was a beautiful paper doll, with red hair.

She was dressed in a muslin gown, with a blue sash and a light weight rose brooch that 'held' the sash into place. She stood with one leg high up in the air, making one think she only had one leg, and as Scott gazed upon her, he fell in love, believing this to be the only one for him.

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><p>Sounds of faking gagging and retching could be heard from the more immature members of the cast, including Remy. The author ignored them and continued the story as if she hadn't been interrupted.<p>

**Annoying muses.**

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><p>However, he was distraught, as she lived in a castle, while he only had a crowded box. In hopes of being left outside his box so he could make the beautiful dancer's acquaintance, he hid behind a box. When it came time to go to bed, Jamie packed up all but Scott, which worried him greatly. Jubilee managed to calm her brother down and told him they would find the missing soldier the next morning.<p>

Once all were in bed, the toys came to life. Scott slowly got out of his hiding place, but remained out of sight of the beautiful dancer. His brethren were taking their play in the staged fights below the table, but that did not matter.

Scott only had eyes for Jean.

Suddenly, out popped a blonde haired man…

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><p>"Hey, I got over the Queen Bee!" FreddyBlob protested.

**It's not you Freddy.**

"Are you saying I'm not good enough?" he snapped.

**No! I'm saying you're too good for this role. Besides, you have a better one coming up.**

"Oh. Okay!"

**Yeesh!**

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><p>Suddenly, out popped the blonde-haired goblin. He had piercings in his ears and he cackled down at Scott. "Look away from <em>my<em> Jean, Tin-Soldier. Who are you, to think you are greater than I, Legion?" he demanded.

Scott pretended he had not heard Legion, but instead mentally sighed over learning the beautiful dancer's name. Emboldened by learning her name, he marched over as best he could with only one leg, only to see her slowly lower the other down and stand on two legs. He immediately stopped and looked away.

The dancer, Jean, had seen him. She thought him a strong man of character, and she drifted over to him gracefully, barely even touching the ground. She greeted him with a light bob and slowly stood up. She then held out her hand for the soldier and she taught him a dance that even he could dance.

The pair, with the fluttering of wax swan wings in the background, fell in love and the tin soldier pledged his undying love to the paper dancer.

Legion was _not_ happy.

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><p>"This ain't how the story went!" Rogue cut in.<p>

**Artistic license. That and I don't like how the tin soldier died without ever really getting to meet the dancer. This has a bit Fantasia 2000 thrown in too. I liked that.**

"Fine," Rogue drawled and crossed her arms.

**You're a Hans Christian Anderson purist, aren't you?**

Rogue did not reply.

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><p>The next morning, Jamie found Scott and, for some reason he could not fathom, placed him on the windowsill. Suddenly, Scott fell out of the window, much to the horror of Jean, though she could do nothing to save him. The minute he fell, Jamie screamed out in horror and rushed down to find the tin soldier, but could not because the toy had bounced behind some barrels.<p>

Jamie's friend, Sin Jin, who was about the same age as him, pulled him back upstairs, reminding the other boy of the fact he had 24 other tin soldiers, none of which were 'damaged.' Jamie, however, was inconsolable, and was moping for the rest of the day over the loss of Scott.

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><p>"Hold up. You <em>de-aged<em> Pyro?" Remy cut in.

…**Yes.**

"Yes! The Shelia…wait, why did you do that?" Sin Jin responded, about to do a happy dance, when he stopped.

***sighs and leans back* Because I need you for something.**

"Do I get to burn something?" Sin Jin questioned.

***gives him a look* What do you think?**

Sin Jin cackled and people got very worried.

As they should be.

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><p>After a time, it began to rain and a few street boys noticed Scott lying in the back. Lance, Todd, and Freddy all decided to make a boat for him and set him sailing. Of course, due to the harshness of the rain, the boat soon was swept away and into the drain, leaving the three boys disheartened about the lost toy.<p>

Lance in particular was upset, as he wanted to mangle it beyond recognition and then bury it.

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><p>"I like that part," Lance stated.<p>

**Thought you would. And there are your cameos. Continuing on.**

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><p>Scott drifted down the sewer and stood fast, for he was a soldier and would not falter. He drifted down in the darkness and thoughts of Jean kept the bad thoughts at bay. As he drifted down, the scuttling of rats could be heard.<p>

Instead of giving up, he gripped his sword tighter, and continued to drift along in his boat. Then, came the roaring. The frightful roaring. It would make even the most steadfast shake in their boots, but Scott had something that was stronger than being steadfast.

True love.

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><p>More childish and immature gagging came from the peanut gallery.<p>

**Shut it!**

The characters foolishly ignored the author's warnings.

…**Now I have to think of some way to punish you guys.**

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><p>As he sailed toward the roaring, he saw that it opened up into a waterfall. Before he even had a chance to notice, he was already over the edge. He fell out of the boat as they fell and began to swirl around, eventually being pulled under, and then out to sea. As he drifted and bumped along, a great silver fish came along.<p>

Upon seeing Scott, he immediately swallowed him up, getting a horrid stomach ache. It was a relief for the fish to get pulled up by the fisherman, because that meant that he was no longer in agonizing pain from the tin soldier.

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><p>"Did you really have to put that in?" Scott asked.<p>

**Do you know how many idiots dump their trash down the drain? This is what happens to **_**hundreds**_** of fish every year, if not a month! People have no consideration for their Earth! This beautiful planet upon which we live and that we…I just went into a rant didn't I?**

The characters nodded.

**Whoops! Sorry. On with the story.**

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><p>Scott was inside the fish for some time and, by some twist of fate, was bought by the cook of Jamie's family. When Kitty cut open…<p>

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><p>"Are you trying to kill us all?" Jamie shouted.<p>

**In this version, Kitty can cook. Hope for the future and all that.**

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><p>When Kitty cut open the fish, she found that Scott was there. "Oh, how wonderful! Jamie will be so pleased!" she exclaimed and, once she cleaned off the worn, but still standing, tin soldier, she presented the toy to Jamie, who was overjoyed with seeing his favorite tin soldier once more.<p>

However, Sin Jin was jealous. He couldn't say why, or even explain it. However, he snatched Scott from Jamie and immediately threw him into the fire.

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><p>"I <em>die<em>?" Scott shouted.

**Duh. That's what happens in **_**The Steadfast Tin Soldier**_**. And now the reason I de-aged Sin Jin is apparent.**

Sin Jin was doing a proper fire dance. With real fire and everything. He then tried to introduce Scott to Mr. Flickers and chaos ensued.

**Yeah…on with the story.**

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><p>The window, which had been tightly shut, opened mysteriously, and Jean was blown off her open doorway and into the stove. Together, they burned, while Legion privately fumed and snarled away within his box, realizing that, while he had rid himself of his problem, he had also rid himself of Jean.<p>

Together, the pair slowly burned together into a tin heart. Well, the brooch and the tin soldier melted into a heart. The beautiful dancer's body was burned away and whisked away into ash.

When they cleaned out the stove, after Sin Jin had apologized for ruining Jamie's toy, they only found the heart.

Jubilee thought it so wonderful, she had it fastened into a heart-shaped necklace, which aided her in find her one true love…

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><p>"ME!" Bobby shouted, before falling over.<p>

Jubilee giggled.

**Idiot. I wasn't going to give a name. Jubilee gets to pick.**

"Why don't I?" Rogue snapped.

**Because I love the chemistry you and Gamby have.**

"What chemistry?"

"Gamby?"

***snickers***


End file.
